The larvae emerge…

It’s that time of year again when a new cohort of enthusiastic entomologists begin their journeys at Harper Adams, which of course means new authorship of Mastering Entomology. So, this short post is going to introduce us as the new authors and let you know what you can expect from us across the next year.

We’ve written short pieces introducing ourselves:

“Hi guys! My name is Aqib Ali and I am one of two curators of this blog, for this academic year. I’ve had an interest in “creepy crawlies” from a very young age. It began with a childish, albeit slightly morbid, curiosity (yes, I was one of those pulling-off-legs and offering-sacrificial-larvae-to-spider-overlords kind of kids). Although, this interest faded slightly as I moved through the mundane secondary school system, my love for life sciences remained constant and it led to me doing a BSc (Hons) Zoology degree at the University of Derby. As I passed through my undergraduate course, my passion for all things insect was slowly reignited. I did several modules with entomological content, one of which was “Applied Entomology”, taught by the likes of Professor Karim Vahed- a leading expert in the field of sexual selection and insects. With my interests piqued, I decided to do a dissertation on an aspect of sexual selection, namely intrasexual selection (male competition). I looked at whether weapon size affects the outcome of aggressive encounters in a cricket species (Platygryllus primiformis). I also sought out volunteering, such as a research assistant for forensic entomologist Dr. Kate Barnes, to broaden my entomological interests. By the end of my undergraduate degree my heart and head were both set on carrying on down the entomological path. Deciding what my next step would be was a no brainer: the MSc Entomology course at Harper Adams University. What attracted me to this course was its range of modules which cover a variety of topics, the excellent teaching quality and facilities, and that it’s quite literally one of a kind.

My entomological interests at this stage are broad and I am open to the many aspects of this diverse subject. Entering this course open-minded will allow me to fully experience and consider my options before I find my specialism. This journey has started with a bang with the Biology and Taxonomy module! In the short time, I’ve been here I’ve learnt so much! I hope to carry on learning new things, acquiring invaluable skills, amassing great experiences and most importantly, loving what I do.”- Aqib Ali

 

The new cohort, learning some practical skills in Biology and Taxonomy of Insects (Photo by Aqib)

 

“Hi I’m Linzi and I’m a graduate from Keele University studying Applied Environmental Science with Physical Geography. My interest in entomology began when we used aquatic insects as indicator species during a field trip to Cwm Idwal. This developed further throughout more field trips around Staffordshire and into France. When it came to my final year I selected modules that would allow me to focus my interests more and decided to base my dissertation on insects.

After hours of scouring news articles and journal articles I decided to investigate pesticide contamination in honey, particularly neonicotinoids. Although by the end of my experimental work I ended up looking for 91 different pesticides across five honey samples. I loved my dissertation and really wanted to take it further, this is what really set my mind on entomology. Hours and hours of reading articles about honey bees, and other beneficial pollinators had me captivated and after a short google search, my heart was set on Harper.

I have been lucky to be given the opportunity to study at Harper, and since arriving only three weeks ago I’ve already learnt so much and my interests have greatly broadened! I’m excited to keep broadening my interests and eventually find the area that I will  have a career in.”– Linzi Jay Thompson

So…that’s us! We will be publishing a variety of articles covering; our course, our interests and more. We aim to publish as regularly as possible (schedule permitting) so check back to see which exciting article we have posted. You can expect up to three articles per month covering a variety of topics, meanwhile, please follow us on twitter @EntoMasters for the latest updates, and follow our personal twitter accounts too @EntoAqib and @Apis_Linzi.

Advertisements

Parenting for Dummies (feat. burying beetles)

Festive greetings readership,

On a gloomy, mist-filled night, the life of a mouse is gently extinguished by disease. Its blood stills, its body cools, and a slight wind carries its almost imperceptible scent through the air. A faint buzzing approaches from the darkness, growing louder and louder; a flash of jet-black and red in the moonlight. Another. Then… silence. Two beetles scamper onto the carcass after their nightly flights. They are burying beetles, a male and a female, and have much to do over the next 2-3 weeks.

Night takes Queen: where do all the wasps go in winter?

Season’s greetings readership,

As I type, millions of Vespula vulgaris (‘common wasp’) queens are in a deep slumber within dead logs, sheds, attic spaces, burrows, and innumerable other areas out of the British elements. Because all other members of a wasp colony die over winter, the survival of the queen is vital to regenerate populations in the spring and summer. But this process is far from simple, incorporating physiological and behavioural adaptations that must be timed accurately to prevent freezing, parasitism, predation,and starvation. The journey of a queen wasp is quite an incredible one involving death, opposition, sex, family, altruism, resurrection, and prejudice, and I would like to personally recommend it as a superior alternative to the biblical prose to which we are flooded at this time of year.

It’s the final essay! Also: What can you expect to see from us in the future?

Greetings readership.

Here we have the final scholarship essay, soon be published in the Royal Entomological Society’s members’ magazine, Antenna. Its author is Siobhan Anne-Marie Hillman. She developed her love of entomology whilst studying at the University of Derby, graduating with a BSc in Zoology. Siobhan’s main interests are in

Friday brings many good things. Nevermind the weekend, we love hymenopterans.

Greetings readership.

Friday brings us many things. Many good things (besides the end of the week).

Today, the students taking the Biology and Taxonomy of Insects module on the Applied Ecology suite of MSc courses here at Harper Adams University were treated to a day consisting entirely of Hymenoptera-related (wasps, bees and ants) lessons, from Dr Andrew Polaszek, of the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London. Starting the day off with an overview of the Order, Dr. Polaszek went on to characterise the super-families using morphological and ecological definitions. The class later went on to try our hand at the initially daunting task of  identifying specimens to super-family, family or genus level based on various keys. The fact that the majority of students were able to identify the specimens shows the quality of the keys and the direction Dr. Polaszek gave to us. By the end of the afternoon, most students had been identifying specimens for 2h30m, with the majority actively enjoying the process, and improving over the course of the day.